A Bearskin's Crimea

Algernon Percy (Modern History, 1987)

Algernon Percy (Christ Church 1987-90) saw his first book, A Bearskin's Crimea: Colonel Henry Percy VC and his Brother Officers published in 2005. In November 2007, it came out in paperback. As well as using previously unexamined family archive papers, the author contacted as many descendants of Grenadier Guards officers from the period 1854-55 as he could locate. More often than not, he found yet more material locked away in attics which the families in question had never got round to looking at properly in the previous 150 years. Algernon Percy also travelled extensively in the Crimea as part of his research for this book, which covers not only the exploits of the Crimean War's highest ranking VC recipient but also interesting aspects of the 'home front' and Florence Nightingale's work (through Henry Percy's brother, who did much to advance the cause of women's nursing). This makes the book as much a 'human story' as it is military history.

The book is dedicated to the memory of George, 9th Duke of Northumberland, Grenadier Guards, killed in action 1940. For more information about this book, please visit the publishers website.